The Kietzman Suggestion Box…

In Kevin Kietzman’s monologue during the 2:00 hour on Wednesday, he asked for suggestions on his program.

Several callers called in and offered very little criticism. Rather, they heaped praise on KK. I find this curious, but that’s not the purpose of this post.

What follows is a list of features during Between The Lines and my opinion of if they work or not. The list is not complete, but does offer my recommendations on segments that need to be pitched or retooled. I will offer new suggestions in a future post. (Stay tuned.)

2:00 – First 20 minutes – NOT WORKING – As I explained in my open letter, this used to be the most powerful segment in Kansas City radio history. Now it’s 20 minutes of live reads for whatever remote you’re on. Make it substantial, break us off some news, then drop in your remote.

Segment with Pudgey (Frank Boal) – NOT WORKING – Frank used to have his own show on 810 and through some cost cutting, that show time was split with The Border Patrol and The Program. Frank’s segments have become nothing more than filler to discuss garbage. Here’s a tip, if your sentence begins with “What’d you do this weekend, Frank?” Don’t discuss it on the radio.

Segment with Jack Harry – ON THE FENCE – This segment is traveling down much the same path as Frank’s, but when Kevin can get Jack’s goat and they both get spun up, it’s actually pretty entertaining. Jack Harry is a throwback to an older generation and has become a pretty amusing angry old man. There is still some value to listening to him yell at kids to get off his lawn.

Grilling Segment with Jim Cati of Smoke N Fire – AUDIO ABORTION – A complete waste of time. I actually have flipped over to Nick Wright’s show during this segment and he’s usually good for a dig about it. I believe I once heard Nick say, “I can’t believe I’m losing to a guy who is grilling steaks on his show right now.” It’s an absolute joke. Kevin’s admission that it’s actually not a paid product endorsement is almost worse. When you see the 1 hour infomercials for Triple-Pane windows on Sunday mornings, you at least know the station is getting a check.

Interviews – WORKING – Kevin’s interviews are always outstanding. He doesn’t do them enough. Interviewing his pals doesn’t count. He is at his best when he is really drilling a subject. (Pun intended.) Lately, the two shows that precede his show are far outpacing him in the number of interviews. Petro’s regular segments with Gottleib and Kirkjan are outstanding. Listening to Kietz talk to his old pal Frank Boal is extremely stale.

Swap Meet – WORKING – It only happens once a year, and it’s a clever idea. I wouldn’t do it more than once a year, but it is always good for a day.

Racin’ Boys – WORKING – You thought I was going to say not working, right? I can’t stand NASCAR, but I do find some entertainment with this segment. Kevin’s knowledge of Motor Sports is zero, much like mine, and the Racin’ Boys actually have educated me. Plus, I think what they are doing with the old 1510 studios is nothing short of incredible. THEY are the new mavericks and should be applauded. I wouldn’t be surprised if they started hosting their own shows and podcasts from THAT studio if the mothership 810 won’t. I still don’t care for Motor Sports, but it’s not the Racin’ Boys fault.

Sporting KC Talk – ON THE FENCE – It’s coming. I have to accept it. I, like many of you, think soccer is just Communist Kick Ball. However, it’s coming. So do I simply accept it and eat what they feed me? I don’t know. I hear the way Jake Gutierrez talks about soccer on The Border Patrol and think that I might give it a try. Then I hear Kietzman drone on about it like I’m supposed to care just because he says words and I get more sick to my stomach. Maybe if I go to a game? Or a match? Or a pitch? What the hell do I call it?

There’s likely more that I’m missing. That’s just what I can roll off on the tip of my brain. If I’m missing other segments, please post them in the comments and I’ll summarize them in a future post.

I think there’s a trend in these observations. The segments that take a little work and effort are of a higher quality of radio and I tend to enjoy them – even if the actual focal point isn’t interesting. If you put your muscle to it, I’m likely going to enjoy it. If it’s just back-slapping, water-cooler jerking-off radio – that doesn’t do it for me. That is what Between the Lines has become.

Discussion (8) ¬

I agree with most of your assessments. I am not a NASCAR fan but I do get that a lot of people are, and one hour a week dedicated to motor racing is not a big deal. Scott and Kirk can be entertaining, and Keitzman can throw out some off the wall ideas that make for good discussion.

The Frank Boal segments have to go. He is on with Petro for an hour a week, The Border Patrol for an hour a week, and with KK for another hour. It’s too much, especially since Mr.Boal is more bland than vanilla pudding. He never has opinions, just rides the fence.

Keitzman was good when he interviewed different guests. Most of the time anymore, his show schedule is set months in advance. Interviewing Mitch Holtus sucks because Mitch is a giant homer. Same for Trent Green, Jayice Pearson, etc. None of these guys say anything of substance. Harlan is good with Petro, but not with KK because KK plays buddy buddy the whole time.

Interviewing beat writers or broadcasters for KC opponents is generally good radio. But it takes effort to get those guests, something KK doesn’t seem to want to put out anymore.

Stumbled onto your site. Very interesting. I agree with most you typed on the above blog.

I’ve really enjoyed much of 610’s content over the past couple years. Even some of Chris and Cowboy’s show entertaining to me. I like the little bit of edge and MOST IMPORTANTLY, sense of humor. This is wear I think ALL of 610’s talent destroys 810. Danny Parkinson and Josh Klingler aren’t “funny”, but have a very good sense of humor. Rome’s show can be very funny, once you get into it. And Nick Wright’s very open and self-depracting style lends to lots of humor. KK and Squidward Clinkscale or astoundingly non-humorous. Obviously, a good sense of humor isn’t a requirement to successful sports radio, as proven by Soren’s show.

I most agree with your statement about KK’s first 20 minutes. Soren does the same thing. I don’t tune in to hear an ad.

Nick Wright “broke” an interesting topic yesterday about the Chiefs being one of 7 teams to not cut pay of their office workers. I don’t think it’s that big of a story, but it was WAY more entertaining than anything on 810. And Nick had a good interview with Dayton Moore. Nick’s only aggravating quality is his WAY Liberal points of views. I like his recent NBA-dominating segments. The Heat/Mavs is GREAT TV and almost all sports fans either love or hate Lebron, so are interested.

Don’t let me be the one that puts a hole in your boat, but I want to make sure that anyone that reads this understands; this isn’t the first time that Kevin Keitzman has been questioned about the quality of his station / program / host abilities / etc.

It won’t be the last. – Nothing has changed.
Not trying to be a party pooper, just a statement.

Even the grilling segment could be ok if only 30 min and talked about kc style grilling things affordable to none johnson county residents. Instead we get when pinky out grilling. Really the biggest problem is lack of sports interviews by kk. Danny just flat needs to go that in its self makes show better

I think you mentioned it in your letter but the Picks segment HAS to be the worst segment on radio. Talk about mailing it in at the end of the week! Not only do I not care about their predictions, but does it ever end? Does someone win? What do they win?

The truth is I am not really interested in the answers to those questions but just pointing out how ridiculous it is.

BTL’s best segment every week is the Friday pick ‘em segment. They need to do more “roundtable” type segments like this. And not just with Lebo and Danny. But other non 810 personalities as well. Kind of a Sports Reporters type thing.

Several years ago, I heard a segment that KK was doing where he was making fun of someone who had heart issues, and he did a 5-second joke of having a heart attack on the air. It really bothered me because a few years previously, a college football player had a heart attack on the field at Missouri Southern (in Joplin) and died several hours later. My brother was a member of that visiting team and he had to deal with the actual event. I quit listening to KK for months afterward because of that segment. Sometimes I think I should have continued while I was still ahead.

Oddly, I like the segments with Pudgy just fine. I turn on the CD player during Jack Harry’s hour. Cannot stand the guy. It’s just not on the radio either — my skin crawls whenever I see him on TV.

Earlier this week I got in the car after work, turned on 810, discovered it was Smoke and Fire Hour… and immediately turned it off. I don’t need an hour every week being told to a) heat up a grill, b) toss dead flesh on it, c) flip it 5-7 minutes later, d) take it off the grill, and e) DON’T TOUCH IT. We understand the process already.

I like Clinkscale, if nothing more that he occasionally takes an opposite viewpoint.

It would also be nice if they could find a way to have less call-in segments, but that’s the nature of the beast, I suppose.